Facebook

• A social networking site that was founded by Mark Zuckerberg when he was a freshman at Harvard. It was meant to be a virtual space for his classmates to connect.
• The site takes its name from the books of photos, or "facebooks," many colleges distribute so that each year's freshman class can get to know each other better.
• Facebook reports having more than 200 million active users, more than half of whom visit the site at least once a day.
• The fastest growing group of Facebook users is people 35 years of age and older.
• More than 30 million users update their status at least once a day.
• Facebook can be used to create groups of people or to create virtual classrooms. Students and teachers can connect asyncronously to learn and grow.
• Students can ask eachother and their instructors questions and be able to collaborate.
• Teachers can connect with eachother to create better lessons and share valuable information with eachother.

• Students learn not only from teachers, but also from fellow students. Facebook provides a way for students to share ideas and connect with each other quickly. Teachers, especially in high school and college, should make use of this network. They can get an account and create groups for their classes and post lectures and notes online. In addition, Classmates can post questions for each other about homework, tests, etc. Students may be more apt to take advantage of this because they are already comfortable with Facebook and use it often.

• With a strong and powerful platform, educators can even create some useful applications for Facebook that comes with better functions and features for education using state-of-the-art technology. For example, they can develop an application that allows students to consult their teachers directly, thus increasing the efficiency for both students and teachers to solve problems.
• Many students are already members of social networking sites. many have left MySpace to join Facebook. If they are already on the site on an almost daily basis, either from a desktop, laptop or cell phone, why not reach them where they are? They can collaborate with eachother and with the teacher.
• Pro: Students and Educators use Innovative Strategies on Facebook
• Pro: Meet students needs where they are most comfortable.
• Con: Privacy Concerns – Is Facebook Right for the Classroom?
• Con: Students may not have access to internet on a regular basis.
• Con: Students/Teachers may not have created a Facebook account for various reasons.
• NETS Standards: 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d

• How To Use Facebook (excellent for beginners - with videos!)
• Using Facebook Professionally
• The Future of Education (social networking)
• Grandparent Website - interesting tips
• Educational Applications of Facebook
• The Facebook Classroom
• Facebook in Education